Mail-box.



UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1993.

MATHIAS S. EXE, OF HAYFIELD, MINNESOTA.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 742,850, datedNovember 3, 1903.

Application filed July 31,1968.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHIAS S. EXE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hayfield, in the county of Dodge and State of Minnesota,have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mail-boxes of that class which are speciallyadapted to be'used on rural-delivery routes; and it has for itsobject toprovide a device of this class which shall possess superior advantagesin point of simplicity, durability, ease of operation, and generalefliciency.

A specialobject of my invention is to fur= nish a box of anapproximately cylindrical shape with a lid normally disposed at thebottom thereof and which is mounted eccentrically and which shall beprovided with means whereby when the box is partially rotated upon itsaxis the lid shall be automatically opened, thus afiording access to theinterior, the lid being, furthermore, automatically held in an openposition while the contents of the box are being removed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a signal which may bereadily lifted to an exposed position so as to indicate that mail-matterhas been placed in the box, but which in the act of opening the box isthrown back to an inoperative position, so that no time need be lost bythe collector in stopping to examine the box, as is oftentimes the casewhen the parties removing the mail-matter from the box forget to throwthe signal back to inoperative position.

With these and other ends in view my invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts which will behereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure'l is a sectional end elevationshowing the box open. Fig. 2 is a' sectional end elevation showing thebox closed. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the inside of the cover ofmy improved mail-box.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

The body of my improved mail-box is of approximately cylindrical shape,having. a

Serial No. 167.790. (No model-l longitudinal opening 2, from whichflaring flanges 3 extend downwardly, said flaring flanges beingreinforced by or connected with riveted flanges 4. provided withreinforcing-washers 6, which are disposed eccentrically, as shown, andfrom which extend the pivots or axes 7, by means of which the box ispivotally connected with brackets 8, extending from a post or othersuitable support 9.

The cover 10 of the box, which is hingedly connected at 11 with the bodyof the same, is provided at the ends thereof with segmental flanges 12.Securelyconnected with the axes 7 are short brackets 13, and longerlinks 14 pivotally connect the flanges 12 of the cover with the freeends of the brackets 13. The cylindrical body of the box is providedwith a suitable handle 16. The position of the respective parts when thebox is closed will be seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, by reference towhich it will appear that the brackets 13 and links 14 are practicallyfolded together within the box. When the handle 16 is pulled in thedirection of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the entire box is turned uponits eccentric axis, and the toggle-link 14, under the stress of the arm13, which is securely connected with the axis, will gradually push uponthe cover until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings,by reference to which it will be seen that said cover is braced orretained in an open position while the contents of the box are beingremoved or while matter is placed therein. To close the box, theoperation is simply reversed, as will be readily understood.

17 designates a target-plate, which is carried by a shank 18, having atits lower end a hook-shaped projection 19, at the heel end of which thesaid signal is pivotally connected with one of the brackets 8 by meansof a pin or bolt 20.

21 designates a pin attached to the adjacent end of the box and which byengaging the shank 18 holds the signal in anupright position when thebox is closed.

22 is a pin which when the box is open and the pin 21 recedes from theshank 18 over the upper surface of the hook 19 engages the under side ofsaid book 19, thus throwing the The ends 5 of the box are signal backinto an inoperative or unexposed position.

In Fig. 30f the drawings I have illustrated a detail view showing theinner side of the cover of the box, by reference to which it will beseen that said cover is provided with a separate receptacle 25, in whichletters may be placed, while the body of the box is reserved fornewspapers, packages, or weightier mail-matter. In the operation of thisdevice it will be seen that when the box is thrown open the flaringflanges surrounding thelid orcover will when the box is opened form astop, the rear portion of the said flaring flange abutting against andcooperating with the lid, and thereby preventing the box from beingopened beyond a certain limit, which may be determined by the extent ofthe flare given to the rear portion of the flange 3. Said flange willalso be found to be of considerable importance, in that it forms whenthe box is closed an absolute safeguard against the admission of snow ormoisture into the box. The latter, it will be observed, may be readilyturned upon its axis without danger of spilling the contents of thereceptacle 25into the body of the box, so that when the latter is openedthe letters will occupy a conspicuous position in the said receptacle,which when the box is opened will be fully exposed to the view of theoperator.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a device of the classdescribed, the combination of an approximately cylindricalcasing,ahinged lid for the same,e ccentricallydisposed pivotalsupporting means for said casing, brackets extending from the pivotalsupporting means,and links connecting said brackets with the lid.

2. In a device of the class described, a box constituting the body ofthe device, a lid hingedly connected with said box, said lid, when thebox is closed, constituting the bottom thereof, eccentrically-disposedpivotal supporting means for the box, brackets ex tending from thepivotal supports, and links connecting the said brackets with the lid ofthe box.

3. In a device of the class described, an approximately cylindrical boxhaving a hinged lid provided with flaring flanges, a handle suitablyconnected with said box, eccentrically-disposed pivotal supportingmeans, and flexible connections between said supporting means and thecover of the box.

4:. In a device of the class described, abox or casing havingeccentrically-disposed pivots, supports for the latter, a signal havinga laterally-extending hook and'having pivotal supporting means extendingthrough the heel of said hook and engaging one of the supports of thecasing, a supporting pin adapted to engage the upper side of said hook,and an auxiliary pin adapted to engage the under side of said hook tothereby tilt the latter upon its supporting-pivot.

5. An eccentrically-mounted, pivoted box capable of turning upon itseccentric axis, a hinged lid for said box, and a link connecting saidlid with a relatively fixed point.

6. A box pivotally mounted upon an axis eccentric to said box, a lidhingedly connected with said box and having flanges disposed interiorlyof the box, and links connecting said flanges with relatively fixedpoints.

7. An eccentrically-mounted box having an opening, flaring flangessurrounding the said opening, a hinged lid for said opening, and alinkconnecting said lid with a relatively fixed point whereby said lid, whenthe box is rotated upon its eccentric axis, shall be thrown open andinto contact with a portion of the flaring flange. I

8. A pivoted, eccentrically-mounted box having an opening and a lid forsaid opening forming, when the box is closed, the bottom thereof, incombination with means connecting said-lid with a relatively fixedpoint, whereby, when the box is rotated to bringits opening uppermost,the lid shall be swung open.

9. A mail-box having an opening and a lid for said opening normallyconstituting the bottom of the box, pivotal supporting means for saidbox, and means whereby the rotation of the box upon its axis will openthe lid.

10. A mail-box having an opening, and a hinged lid for the same normallyconstituting the bottom of the box, link connection between said lid anda relatively fixed point whereby, by the rotation of the box, the lidshall be actuated, and stop means for supporting the box in its openposition.

11. In a mail-box, a pivotally-supported box having an opening with ahinged lid, normally constituting the bottom of the box, and means forautomatically opening said lid when the box is rotated upon its axis tobring said lid uppermost, and stop means to limit the movement of thebox in the direction of opening the same.

12. A pivotally-mounted mail-box having an opening and a hinged lidnormally constituting the bottom of the box, and an auxiliary receptaclemounted upon the inner side of said lid.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

.MATHIAS S. EXE.

Witnesses:

OTTO BERGAN, GEORGE P. HAGEN.

